Reds, Whites & Desserts

Chamber looking to serve vintage good time May 23

Enlarge ImageBuy This PhotoFinalizing wines, desserts, decor and silent-auction details for the Worthington Area Chamber of Comerce's 2014 Reds, Whites & Desserts event are (from left) committee chairman Michael Maurer of the Boling & Maurer Group, Kathryn Paugh, president and CEO of the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce, and Andy Bassitt, general manager of Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Like the finest of wines, Reds, Whites & Desserts just gets better with age.

The premier Worthington social event, now in its 17th year, will from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 23, at Bridgewater Banquet & Conference Center, 10561 Sawmill Parkway.

The Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce invites all who enjoy fine wines, foods and social exchange to attend.

A major fundraiser that supports business leadership and student scholarships, the event will offer wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, desserts for sampling and auction and silent-auction packages, many tied to the silvery "reflections" theme of this year's event.

Reds, Whites & Desserts has become a vintage tradition for local partygoers, drawing nearly 300 attendees each year since the event was launched in 1998, according to Kathryn Paugh, the chamber's president and CEO.

While showcasing chamber member businesses' wines, foods, products and services through the tastings and auctions, the event blends social and business connections in an elegant setting in which clients and customers, employees, neighbors, family and friends mingle.

In addition to Bridgewater Banquet & Conference Center, the presenting sponsor, the major event sponsors of the 2014 event include the office of Anthony Lordo, D.D.S., B&C Blacktop Sealing Co. and Worthington Jewelers.

Anthony Lordo, D.D.S., is the sponsor of a coffee bar to complement 25 fancy desserts from local restaurants and bakeries.

Wine-station sponsors known as of ThisWeek's press time were the Boling & Maurer Group, Craig W. Bringman Co. LPA and 3D Conceptions, Group Management Services, Huntington National Bank, Insurance Partners Group Ltd. and Tilton's Automotive Service.

Silent-auction packages, with hundreds of items donated by local retailers, are grouped in whimsical themes. This year's offerings include many popular favorites that attract repeat bidders each year, including a Lake Erie fishing excursion, blacktop paving, holiday lighting services, custom jewelry from Worthington Jewelers, weekend getaways to a lakefront home in Michigan and a cabin in the Hocking Hills, golf packages and gift certificates for numerous products and services.

Paugh said the event offers several opportunities for businesses to promote their companies. They include event sponsorships and wine-station sponsorships, both of which include a reserved table of six and advertising opportunities; patron sponsorships, for four tickets and a program advertisement; friend sponsorships, four tickets and a listing in the program; and, for those who contribute prizes for the silent-auction packages, promotion in auction displays and event publicity.

Reservations for the event are $55 per person and may be made through May 22 by calling the chamber at 614-888-3040 or registering online at worthingtonchamber.org. All major credit cards are accepted. Cocktail-party and dressy business-office attire are appropriate for the event.